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Glite Dictionary
eristical

eristical

9.9
To argue just for the sake of arguing, often with weak reasons
  • adjective
  • /ɪˈrɪstɪkəl/
  • Formal
translation icon : erístico
  • Online forums can attract eristical participants who argue just for the sake of arguing.

Examples

  • His eristical style often derailed meetings into pointless debates.

  • The philosopher was criticized for being overly eristical in scholarly discussions.

  • His eristical arguments often confuse the audience.

  • The debate turned eristical rather quickly.

  • Online forums can attract eristical participants who argue just for the sake of arguing.

  • His eristical style often derailed meetings into pointless debates.

  • The philosopher was criticized for being overly eristical in scholarly discussions.

Synonyms

argumentative
vseristical
22 5.3

Often likes to disagree with other people

chooses to engage in disputes mainly to win using misleading logic
eristic
vseristical
  • Formal
1 9.9

Tending to argue to win rather than to find the truth

emphasizes incorrect reasoning rather than deliberate attempts to mislead
sophistical
vseristical
  • Formal
1 9.9

Seeming logical but actually wrong and meant to mislead

uses disputes as an end while relying on flawed but plausible reasoning
paralogistic
vseristical
  • Specialized
9.9

Based on wrong thinking that leads to false conclusions

makes disputation a practice for its own sake often using weak logic

Antonyms

logical
307 3.8

Having clear reasons that fit the facts

How Argumentative

quarrelsome
3 7.8
eristical
  • Formal
9.9
argumentative
22 5.3
disputatious
1 9.8
challenging
14 4.6
reserved
3.7
agreeable
17 3.3

Surface Forms

eristical positive

Morphology

eristical = eristic (transparent) = eristic + al

The adjective is formed by straightforward suffixation of '-al' to 'eristic', so the meaning is directly derived from the base term, though both forms are relatively rare.

Etymology

Eristical comes from the Greek root eris, which means 'strife' or 'fight' and is like the English word 'strife'. It describes someone who argues just to win or to cause a fight, often using tricks or false reasons, so the origin helps explain why it means arguing for its own sake.